


No Room for Doubt

by ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)



Series: Tumblr Prompts [22]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 17:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17005611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell
Summary: When Magnus loses his cool and storms off for a bit, Alec is afraid the comfort he finds from a friend is misread by his boyfriend once he gets back and finds them passed out on the sofa together.





	No Room for Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt: Magnus comes home to Alec and Alec's best friend (not Jace) cuddling on the couch and Alec thinks he didn't like it, but he didn't mind.

Things hadn’t been the easiest since Magnus lost his magic. Some days were better than others, and for a little while it felt as if they were only getting better, adjusting to this new normal more and more with each passing day. 

But all it took was one slip up for everything to go right back to square one. This time around that slip up occurred after Magnus received a desperate fire message from a friend of his in London looking for help. He had to reluctantly pass it over to another warlock, and Alec’s attempts to reassure him only backfired, leaving him to watch helplessly as Magnus stormed out of the Loft. 

Yesterday. 

He hadn’t answered Alec’s texts or calls since, besides one quick ‘I’m fine’ halfway through the day when Alec threatened to dispatch a search party from the Institute to track him down if he didn’t at  _ least  _ let Alec know he was still alive. 

As if two bad decisions could cancel one another out somehow, Alec went to the Hunter’s moon after waiting around the empty, too-quiet Loft became suffocating. But that didn’t help, because then he was just alone in a more public place. 

He didn’t have to worry about that for very long when Underhill slid into the unoccupied seat next to him. 

“How’d you know where to find me?” Alec asked. 

“You're not the most social person,” Underhill pointed out. “‘Out’ for you either means a patrol you’re pretending is just a walk because you aren’t supposed to be on duty, or here.” 

Alec laughed, but there was a rough edge to it, and instead of answering he took another sip of his drink. 

“You seemed off all day,” Underhill admitted. “What’s up?” 

Reluctantly, Alec started telling him what was on his mind. Even in his frustration his words never pained Magnus in a negative light. 

“...and I want to give him his space, but I feel so guilty when he shuts me out like this.” Alec sighed, pushing away the unfinished bit of liquor in his glass. “I should go… except I can’t go back to the Institute like this, and I don’t want to go back to the Loft alone. I’m just driving myself insane there.” 

“Why don’t I go back with you? We can finally watch one of those movies you keep saying you’ll ‘get to later’?” 

Several mugs of hot chocolate later and they were both asleep on the sofa, the television displaying the ‘Are you still watching?’ screen of the Netflix horror special they started. When the sound of the front door opening stirred Alec awake he was laying half-on-top of Underhill, his head rested on the other man’s stomach as it rose and fell slowly in the steady breathing of sleep. 

Magnus looked them over and walked past them into the bedroom without a single word. 

Fuck. 

Underhill stirred with a yawn at Alec’s sudden movement, just in time to watch Magnus retreat down the hall. 

“I should go,” he said. “Good luck, Lightwood.” 

“Thanks.” Alec nodded, taking a deep breath as he knocked on the already closed bedroom door before pushing it open a crack. 

“Magnus?” 

Magnus kicked his shoes off - Alec noted he’s still wearing the same thing he was when he left the day before. 

“Magnus, look… I know what it looked like, but it wasn’t- I didn’t -” he broke off, not sure how to say ‘I swear I wasn’t about to cheat on you with my only other gay friend just because you ran off in a huff’. He didn’t think Magnus could even imagine him capable of it, but that look he had on his face when he came in was entirely unreadable. “Underhill only came over because-” 

“-because you didn’t want to wait here alone for however long it took for me to get my shit together and come back.” Magnus sighed. “I’m sorry.” 

“...you’re not upset?” 

“Only with myself,” Magnus muttered. “Underhill texted me while you were on the way back here from the Hunter’s Moon. He very kindly told me I was being a stubborn idiot and needed to come back home.” 

Alec winced. “I never told him to do that.”

“I know, but he was right. I was being unfair to you. I was being unfair to both of us. I shouldn’t have left like that, you were only trying to help. Forgive me?” 

“Always.” Alec promised, and meant it. When he spoke the word there wasn’t a single doubt in either of their minds that it was true. 

They looked at one another in silence for a minute before Alec offered, slowly, “...do you want to talk about it?”

Magnus shook his head. “It’s done… this time, at least. But next time?” He turned his gaze up to meet Alec’s. “ I won’t walk away next time.”   
  
Alec gave him a small, encouraging smile in return. “Good. Because next time I won’t let you.” He only paused a moment before adding, “Y’know, we still have some hot chocolate left, and plenty of space on the couch.”

For the first time in over 24 hours, Magnus smiled. “I think I’d like that.” 

**Author's Note:**

> (Find me on [Tumblr! ](http://bytheangell.tumblr.com))


End file.
